Summer Challenges
I've battled respiratory issues all my life. I blame it on being born a preemie. As an early, low birth weight twin baby, I incubated for a month before the hospital set me free. My mother was already a sleep deprived new mom caring for my sister and she can't remember why I had to stay in the hospital so long. She also can't remember what I wore home from the hospital but she's pretty sure it was "clothes and a diaper". After years of breathing problems and asthma I'm pretty darn sure my month in the NICU was due to underdeveloped lungs along with trying to gain weight. Hah. That's the last time in my life I've ever actively pursued weight gain instead of weight loss.
Outdoor workouts have historically been difficult for me since I've always lived in a climate prone to humidity. I love Austin too much to move to Phoenix, so I'm stuck with learning to live with muggy air. Plenty of Central Texas asthmatics walk, run and go to boot camp outdoors, though. We just learn to deal with it. And carry our inhalers. My respiratory problems worsen with heat, too.
Even if you don't have asthma chances are good that at some point in time during a grueling workout you've felt as if you did. Ever have such a hard time catching your breath that you felt like you were sucking in oxygen out of a cocktail straw? Yup, that's what an asthma attack feels like to me. Well, if I was breathing through that tiny red straw while laying flat on my back with a loaded suitcase on my chest. Anyway, you get the idea. And why are those straws almost always red or red & white? I once saw a blue & white striped one and spent an hour begging the bartender to let me take a box home. (Of course I was not a boot camper at that time).
With hotter weather we face all kinds of challenges that normally wouldn't be an issue. You will be sweating more and feeling a greater intensity in your routine even without kicking it up a notch. Your recovery may be slower and you might just find that you need a different plan for nutrition. With this heat, water is wonderful and hopefully you are drinking at least 4 liters a day during this sweltering heat. Did you know that once we register thirst we are already at 7% diminished performance due to dehydration?
Since we're all perspiring more (and thank you for continuing to wear your deoderant to camp) we may also need electrolyte replacements. Because many sports drinks also contain nausea-inducing sugars, you may want to look at other options for electrolyte replacement. Switch out your salt shaker from regular table salt to Morton's Lite Salt. The sodium chloride in it contains potassium. Eat bananas and oranges for snacks, too. They're loaded with potassium and Vitamin C. If you do opt for good ole Gatorade or similar drink, dilute it by 50% until you determine if the sugar will settle easily in your tummy.
So take care of yourselves. Pay close attention to how you feel during these blazing hot days. Make changes where you need to, tweaking it to keep your body healthy and happy.
Outdoor workouts have historically been difficult for me since I've always lived in a climate prone to humidity. I love Austin too much to move to Phoenix, so I'm stuck with learning to live with muggy air. Plenty of Central Texas asthmatics walk, run and go to boot camp outdoors, though. We just learn to deal with it. And carry our inhalers. My respiratory problems worsen with heat, too.
Even if you don't have asthma chances are good that at some point in time during a grueling workout you've felt as if you did. Ever have such a hard time catching your breath that you felt like you were sucking in oxygen out of a cocktail straw? Yup, that's what an asthma attack feels like to me. Well, if I was breathing through that tiny red straw while laying flat on my back with a loaded suitcase on my chest. Anyway, you get the idea. And why are those straws almost always red or red & white? I once saw a blue & white striped one and spent an hour begging the bartender to let me take a box home. (Of course I was not a boot camper at that time).
With hotter weather we face all kinds of challenges that normally wouldn't be an issue. You will be sweating more and feeling a greater intensity in your routine even without kicking it up a notch. Your recovery may be slower and you might just find that you need a different plan for nutrition. With this heat, water is wonderful and hopefully you are drinking at least 4 liters a day during this sweltering heat. Did you know that once we register thirst we are already at 7% diminished performance due to dehydration?
Since we're all perspiring more (and thank you for continuing to wear your deoderant to camp) we may also need electrolyte replacements. Because many sports drinks also contain nausea-inducing sugars, you may want to look at other options for electrolyte replacement. Switch out your salt shaker from regular table salt to Morton's Lite Salt. The sodium chloride in it contains potassium. Eat bananas and oranges for snacks, too. They're loaded with potassium and Vitamin C. If you do opt for good ole Gatorade or similar drink, dilute it by 50% until you determine if the sugar will settle easily in your tummy.
So take care of yourselves. Pay close attention to how you feel during these blazing hot days. Make changes where you need to, tweaking it to keep your body healthy and happy.
"The pain of disipline is far less than the pain of regret"
~Sarah Bombell, synchronized swimmer~
posted by Kay at 12:00 PM
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